


Burn Bright

by itboyoikage



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Angst, Bad Parenting, Child Abuse, Drama, Eventual Romance, Kageyama Tobio Needs a Hug, Kazuyo-kun is a good grandfather, M/M, Slow Burn, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-17
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-15 10:36:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,872
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28812051
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/itboyoikage/pseuds/itboyoikage
Summary: Life is unfair as it is unkind to someone named Kageyama Tobio who lives in a world where having the gift of fire is rare and having a rejected soulmate mark is even rarer.It is because Tobio himself has them both and he's still trying to figure out which one is worse.
Relationships: Kageyama Tobio/Oikawa Tooru
Comments: 15
Kudos: 131





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> CW: VIOLENCE, MENTIONS OF BLOOD AND WOUNDS
> 
> Please heed the tags and proceed with caution. This is a prologue which would be showing a lot of violence. It isn't as detailed, but there would be a lot of it, so if you don't like that or if it triggers you in any way, please click back. 
> 
> Have a great day!

It wasn't always like this.

_ I would never hurt you _ . Tobio remembered what his father said to him while he was in fetal position, his other hand caressing his burnt and battered left wrist where his soulmate mark was located, trying to give himself some form of comfort in order to hold on to reality. 

Tobio's father wasn't always like this. He was one of the greatest heroes in their city for god's sake. He was not a bad person and he certainly wasn't a villain. At least, not the father that he knew when his mother was still alive.

Tobio always thought that Hayato treasures his son the most in the world so he would never hurt him. That's what he kept telling little Tobio, so it must've been the truth, right?

_"Father," little Tobio tugged on his father's shirt as he looked at his number one hero with his big bright sapphire_ _eyes. "Please teach me to control my gift like how you control yours when I get it!"_

_ "Of course, my cute little Tobio! Anything for my son that I treasure the most in this whole wide world! _ "  _ Hayato laughed good naturedly, eyes turning to crescents as he ruffled Kageyama's hair. "I just know that you'll do great things in this world, my boy! Just like your old man! Maybe even better!" _

_ Little Tobio giggled, "Really? Do you think I would inherit your gift and protect as many people as you did? Even my soulmate? I wanna follow in your footsteps!" _

_ "Of course, my boy! And when it happens, I'll be the happiest father that ever walked this earth!" _

_ Tobio giggled once again.  _

_ "Can I see your fire again, father?" Little Tobio's blue eyes were filled with admiration and awe as he watched Hayato open his hand to summon a ball of fire that grew as big as his hand.  _

_ "W-would it hurt me?" _

_ Hayato looked at his son with gentle loving eyes and smiled. _

_ "It wouldn't hurt you because I would never hurt you. Just know that as long as I am here, you have nothing to fear." _

Tobio's father's gift is one of the rarest gifts to ever exist. People with gifts are already rare in itself, consisting of only forty percent of the population while the other sixty percent don't. And in that forty percent, only a handful of people have the gift of fire, and the probability of their children inheriting it was low to none. However, countless people dislike and even detest users of the said gift due to its destructive and violent nature which often always shows through their personality. Except for Tobio's father.

Hayato was always gentle, especially when it came to Tobio and his soulmate Yua, Tobio's mother. People were often confused and awed about Hayato's gentle nature when they meet him in real life since Hayato was big and scruffy looking. But he had such soft and gentle sapphire eyes,  _ just like mine, father!  _ Tobio would often say.

But even then, there's a saying that a person's gift  _ always _ mirrors their personality, and having a gift as destructive as fire would often lead to having a violent personality. But Hayato had a personality that was fit for being one of the greatest heroes; compassionate, gentle, strong, righteous.

Little Tobio always held the belief that his father was different, that he was always kind and gentle, and little Tobio would never believe anyone if they told him otherwise.

What can he say? He always dreamt of following in his father's footsteps. 

That dream however, was shattered when he  _ became _ violent.

When Yua died while doing hero work, it was all over the news. Tobio was only five when it happened, but he wasn't dumb. He knew that his mother would never return to them. 

He also knew how powerful the mark between soulmates are. 

Tobio's been reading about it and even begged his mother to tell him stories about her and his father ever since Tobio knew what a soul mark was, his eyes brimming with unconcealed delight at the prospect of having a soulmate. 

_ "Mama," four year old Tobio looked up at his mother from his book, eyes filled with curiosity. "What's a soulmate mark?" _

_ "Hmm," his mother stopped what she was doing and sat beside Tobio, hugging him close. "This right here," Yua pointed a delicate finger on Tobio's inner left wrist, “Is what we like to call, a soulmate mark." _

_ Tobio's eyes widened and stared at the mark on his wrist, prodding it with his other hand, looking fascinated.  _

_ "What does it mean, mama?" _

_ "It means that somewhere out there, someone would accept and love you for who you are. Someone is meant just for you and you only. This symbolizes a very strong bond that only you could have with your soulmate and no love in the world could compare to it." _

Tobio thinks it's a nice feeling; to know that you belong for someone. That someone is meant just for you.

_ "Listen, Tobio," Yua brushed her fingers on Tobio's raven hair, smiling fondly while humming. "Finding your soulmate can make you feel like you're whole. But losing a soulmate feels like you're losing yourself." _

So he  _ knew _ just how much Hayato was beyond devastated to the point that something in him changed that day that would scar Tobio for the rest of his life.

The first time Tobio noticed the change in his number one hero's personality was two months after Yua's death.

Hayato came home from his hero work looking angrier than Tobio has ever seen him which made him wary, but he shook his head because his father would never hurt his most treasured son, right?

"Father! You're home! Can you teach me-" Tobio ran towards his father but stopped abruptly when Hayato gave him a glare. 

"Not now, Tobio. I'm not in the mood."

His blatant refusal made Tobio confused because his father never said no to teaching him. What made his hands quake in fear however, was his cold tone and demeanor while he looked at his own son. But he trampled it down because he knew his father wouldn't do anything bad to him. Right?

"But I want to-" 

"I said not now, Tobio!" 

Raging hot fire suddenly burst out from Hayato's arms as he shouted and Tobio recoiled from the immense heat coming from his father. Hayato came to his senses when he heard Tobio whimper and just as quickly as his fire erupted, it was immediately extinguished. 

The air was thick with tension as they stared at each other. Tobio did not dare move as he waited for his father to speak, to say anything that could break the heavy tension and ease Tobio's terrified mind. 

It felt like an eternity passed before his father spoke.

"You- I, I think we should just go to bed." He sighed, rubbing his face with his hands. "I'm so sorry for shouting, I- I am really just tired right now and so many things happened and I, I lost it for a minute there." 

"O-okay, father." Tobio looked up to Hayato hesitantly, worry clouding his eyes because he knew his number one hero would never lose it even under great stress and pressure. But he eventually let it go and muttered his goodnight to his father's retreating back.

That night was the first time he went to his room crying and shaking without a loving hug or kiss on the forehead from his father. 

* * *

Everything went back to normal the next day. Hayato was back to his normal gentle, compassionate and kind self which made Tobio wary but happy. He was still shaken from what happened last night, but he told himself that it was over, that they finally returned to being a happy family even without his mother which he missed dearly. But he was wrong.

It got even worse, when not even a week after the incident, his father came home drunk. 

Tobio was doing his homework in the living room when he heard his father's keys rattling, so he did what he always did, which was to greet his father when he comes home, but it was the stench of alcohol that greeted him first.

"Fa-" Tobio stopped his question abruptly when he watched his father grab the nearest vase and throw it on the opposite wall. To say that Tobio was terrified would be an understatement. He began to shake as he thought of the things he did that could warrant his father's anger. 

But he quickly learned that it wasn't him Hayato's anger was pointed at, it was at  _ the _ number one hero. 

"That bastard really thinks he's high and mighty!" he slurs and Tobio flinches as he punches the wall. "Just that cocky bastard wait until I take his spot as the number one hero in this city! Then he'll see!" 

Hayato was tripping over his feet to get to his bedroom when Tobio snapped out of his thoughts and rushed toward his father to help him.

But as soon as he touched his father's arm, his small body suddenly reeled back as he felt his cheeks sting with pain and his eyes prickle with fresh tears. His father, his number one hero just  _ slapped _ him. 

"Don't! Don't fucking touch me with your filthy hands!" his father sneered, blue eyes filling with so much malice and rage.

But then he stopped and left his son to clamber towards his bed room as if the incident that happened in the past few minutes has been forgotten. Little Tobio didn't even have the heart to stop his father again since he was too stunned and beyond terrified to move.

Only when hearing the bedroom door click shut did Tobio get to breathe once more. His tears started flowing freely and he felt his knees give out as he let the memories from the past few minutes wash over him. 

_ It couldn't be. That wasn't my father. My father would never hit me. He wouldn't. He was just drunk and thought that I was gonna hurt him. It's my fault. My fault. My fault.  _ My  _ fault. _

More tears sprang up from Tobio's eyes as his mind tells him that it was his fault that his father hit him because _ he would never hurt me if it wasn't my fault, right?  _

So Tobio stood up on shaky legs and promised himself that he would apologize to his father for whatever it was that he had done wrong so that they would finally return to normal. 

But life was not fair and it certainly wasn't kind to Tobio.

After the incident that occurred, Hayato getting drunk and hitting Tobio became a regular occurrence in the Kageyama household, but it never went farther than a backhanded slap to Tobio's face. 

But he was always so tired and scared out of his mind that he only manages to crawl back to his bed to blame himself and touch his soulmark, which never failed in comforting him.

But from then on it only got worse. When Hayato gets fired from his job as the number 2 hero in the city they're living in, he gets drunk once again and starts really beating Tobio. Punching him, kicking him, and throwing him, even going as far as to use his  _ fire _ on him until Tobio screamed from the massive amount of pain from the burns and cuts; the words  _ you're still my number one hero _ stuck in his throat as his world blurs and he eventually passes out. 

* * *

_ It's okay _ . Tobio tells himself when he bandages his new cuts and fresh burns, gingerly touching his ribs and grimacing when he felt the blossoming pain. 

Tobio winced when he looked at himself in the mirror. 

He looked worse for wear.

His eyes were red rimmed and sunken, he looked paler than usual and his lips were bleeding from biting too hard so he wouldn't scream when his father beat him up. But his body was even worse. He made a mental note to wear longer sleeves to hide the burns and cuts. 

"He's not a bad person. He's just devastated that he lost mama and his job. Everything will be alright. He would never hurt me. He's still my number one hero." 

But as he says the last sentence, fat tears roll down his cheeks. Lately, he's been having a hard time believing his words. 

* * *

It was a bright Saturday morning when six year old Tobio jolted awake from his fitful sleep. The weather was a stark contrast from the shriek he heard downstairs which got more frequent as the seconds ticked by. 

It sounded like their housekeeper. (Ever since Tobio's mother died, no one was able to clean the house and so his father hired her every weekend to clean up.)

Tobio was still shaking and weak because of the bruises and cuts riddling his body from the harsh beatings of Hayato last night, but hearing the shrieks from downstairs felt like someone just poured ice cold water on his face so he reacted on instinct and rushed out of his bedroom as fast as his battered body allowed him. 

The shrieking was gone now, replaced by the sobbing of the housekeeper and the shouting of his father. And as he entered the living room, what little Tobio saw made his blood run cold. 

The living room was in complete chaos, burnt books were scattered everywhere, the chairs were all broken and even all of the vases near his father were either broken or melted from the intense fire radiating from his infuriated father. 

Tobio wasn't sure if Hayato was still drunk from all the alcohol he drank last night or if it was because his eyes were trained on the housekeeper who was kneeling and asking for forgiveness that Hayato still hadn't noticed his son standing at the door of the living room, looking aghast.

"I-I'm so sorry!" She sobbed, looking completely terrified being at the mercy of his father. "It wasn't my intention to-" 

"Do not speak if I didn't order you to!" His father spat. "Now tell me how you're going to pay for the vase my wife made for our first anniversary?!"

"I-" she stopped and choked on a sob which added more fuel to the raging anger of his father.

Hayato stepped closer, looking like he was about to burn her alive, still not noticing Tobio, or probably not caring whether his son sees him hurt other people. 

Tobio was beyond terrified of his father, but if there was one thing greater than his fear, it was the desire to save other people's lives, just like his father once did. 

So he did what he knows best.

Tobio steps in his father's line of sight, opens his arms and bares his teeth. 

"Don't hurt anyone else anymore, father." He was shaking with fear but his eyes were filled with determination to save her.

His father sneered at him as Tobio watched the flames dancing on Hayato's arms burn brighter. What Tobio once thought was beautiful looked nothing but menacing now. 

"Oh, is our little Tobio finally disobeying his number one hero?" 

Tobio flinched at his father's mocking words, Hayato's blue eyes bore holes into him, but he stood his ground.

The action angered Hayato further and in a flash, he punches Tobio, causing him to fall to his side at the force of the hit.

_ I guess I'll be taking a one week leave at school so no one would see this again.  _ Tobio thought bitterly to himself.

But before Hayato could take another step towards the housekeeper, Tobio stood up once again and stepped in between them. 

"I-it's okay Kagayama-san," the housekeeper tugged at his pants, still trembling from his father's actions. "It's my fault and I should be the one-" 

"It's okay." Tobio smiled which quickly turned into a grimace as blood dripped down his nose. 

"As long as I am here, you have nothing to fear." Tobio wiped his bloody nose and bared his teeth once again as he repeated what his father used to tell him when he was younger. 

Her pleas didn't matter anyway, seeing as Hayato was fully trained on Tobio as he roars in anger and punches him. Kicks him. Stomps on him. Spits on him. Burns him. All the while telling him how useless he is because he was born without a gift and how he is disgusted to have a son like him. 

Eventually, his father got bored, left the house to "cool down" and slammed the door shut hard enough for the furniture– or what's left of it– to shake. 

Moments pass before little Tobio begins to release a shaky breath and winces from the kick on his stomach.  _ There would probably be a big bruise and another couple of broken ribs there _ . He thought to himself.

_ You're a useless good for nothing son. You are powerless. You can't protect anyone when you don't even have a goddamn gift. I am disgusted and disappointed to have you as my son. Even your soulmate would be disgusted to be with you. _

He felt himself shake as the waves of panic and anguish his number one hero's words inflicted settled in and seeped into his bones. Soon he lies down on the floor in a fetal position, the memories from before his father beat him up rose into his mind. He was on the brink of letting go and losing himself when the housekeeper made a move to go to him. When he looked at her and saw that she was unharmed, he felt his body sag with relief.

His father's words and memories were long forgotten as he felt  _ happiness _ .  _ Genuine elation,  _ because he felt like a hero who managed to save someone else from his father's wrath even if it meant that his father would keep beating him instead. It was that thought that kept him grounded and stayed with him until he passed out once again.

* * *

Normally before the age of four, children would receive their gift, but Tobio just turned seven and there was still no sign of his power manifesting and it worried him. A lot.

Maybe his father was right. He's useless. How could he save people from danger when he doesn't have any gift? How can his soulmate want him if he didn't know how to protect them? How can he fulfill his promise to his father to become the number one hero when he didn't know whether his gift would manifest soon or not?

He shook his head and he did what he thought was best. Ask their housekeeper to be his guardian going to the hospital, since he himself alone can't be given a service without another adult present, which she readily agreed to, telling him that it was a sign of gratitude for what Tobio did for her last year.

Together they went to the hospital when Tobio knew that Hayato was going home late from wherever it is that he always goes to. 

"Good morning! Welcome to– wait." The doctor, Watanabe Ryusei according to the nurse that let him in, looked nonplussed when he looked up and saw Tobio standing near the door of his clinic.

Tobio thought he looked handsome with his black shoulder length hair, thin lips, and his kind golden eyes framed with long eyelashes that now looked at Tobio as if he were a ghost.

"You're the son of Hayato, right? What brings you here? And why isn't Hayato with you? Should I call-"

"No!" Tobio almost shouted which startled the doctor. Tobio noticed this and winced. He cleared his throat and tried again. 

"No. Please don't call him. I already told him and he probably doesn't want to be disturbed during his… work, right?" Tobio rushed out. "My dad said I could bring our hou- my sister with me anyway."

Tobio thinks he wasn't as convincing as he thought he was since Ryusei still looked skeptical but thankfully he didn't push the matter further.

"Normally I don't give services to kids under the age of eighteen without the permission of their parents," Tobio winced internally as the doctor gave him a knowing look. "but since you're the son of the former number two hero in this city and you brought with you your, uh, sister, I'll let you off the hook just this once."

At this, Ryusei smiled at Tobio, his eyes crinkling and Tobio breathed a sigh of relief and thanked him profusely. 

* * *

"Based on the results of your x-ray, you have the second joint in your thumb which means you have a gift!" Ryusei beamed as little Tobio grinned.

"But why do I still not have my gift, sir- doctor Watanabe?" Tobio inquired, looking at Ryusei with curious but innocent eyes.

The doctor looked deep in thought but then, "well it could be because of a couple of reasons. Most gifts usually require activation or a specific stimulus for it to be activated. It could be activated even in doing the simplest things that could be connected to your gift.

"However... in rare cases, a person's gift wouldn't activate when one is under great pressure… or when one is being oppressed." The doctor eyes Tobio's long sleeves thoughtfully. 

"....say Kageyama-kun," Ryusei hesitated. "Is…. is someone.. oppressing you..?" 

Tobio stared at him, his big blue eyes filled with confusion as he asked, "what's… oppressing?"

That was when Ryusei realized just how young the kid was. When Kageyama entered the room, he still looked at him in childlike wonder and awe but as he looked in his eyes, he couldn't help but think about how Kageyama didn't look his age. 

He looked smarter and sharper than other boys his age, like he had seen and experienced so much more than what he should have.

Ryusei sighed internally. "Well… oppression is when someone is treating you poorly or when they're hurting you for no apparent reason."

"Oh…." Tobio's mind flashes to an image of his father, angry and drunk, but he quickly pushes the thought away as he immediately thinks of what he should answer.

"....no, doctor Watanabe," he lied, feeling a lump in his throat. "I don't think anyone is oppressing me." 

As the words left Tobio's mouth, he saw Ryusei scrutinizing him and he felt as if he's drowning. He thinks that if he stayed there any longer, he might tell the kind hearted doctor about his situation and it made him terrified. Terrified of what his father might do to other people if he didn't keep his mouth shut.

So he stood up abruptly, bowed deeply to Ryusei, said his thanks, then ran.

* * *

_ I don't want to have my father's gift. _

Tobio and their housekeeper were already on their way home when the thought flashed in Tobio's mind.

He was shocked at himself for thinking that. 

He has always wanted to inherit his father's power because of how bright and beautiful it was in his eyes before, but now, thinking about inheriting his father's gift filled him with so much dread that it made him jolt with a realization. 

He doesn't want to follow in his footsteps anymore. 

He doesn't want to have his father's gift because he knows it would only cause pain and despair.

Tobio wanted to be the number one hero that could save millions of lives and he knew he couldn't achieve that dream if he inherited Hayato's fire.

So he closes his eyes and prays that he would inherit his mother's gift instead. 

* * *

But of course, life would never be kind to Tobio.

As they approached the Kageyama household, Tobio felt a sense of dread when he noticed that the door was unlocked. 

When they entered, Tobio didn't have time to react when his father dragged their screaming housekeeper into the house and threw her at the wall. 

Before Tobio could go to her however, Hayato snarled at him.

"What the fuck did you think you were doing?!" Hayato seethed, boiling with raw anger and rage. 

"And you," he pointed at the housekeeper, his eyes flashing. "You dare to disobey me when I gave you another chance to work here?!"

Hayato was beyond mad but this time, he didn't reach for Tobio like he normally did, instead he lunged at the housekeeper, his arms igniting with his raging fire.

"No!" Tobio ran, but he knew he wasn't going to make it in time and it made him frantic. On instinct, he raised his palm, pointed it at Hayato and  _ tugged _ on something, anything that could help him save the housekeeper.

Suddenly, flames, bright and burning, shot out from under Hayato, encircling him and effectively caging him. Stopping him from taking another step. 

For a moment, the room was filled with silence, only the hissing of the pillar of flames Tobio summoned could be heard.

_ I did that!  _ Tobio thought excitedly while looking at the flames  _ he _ summoned.  _ I managed to protect someone and become a hero! I finally have my own gift! _

But Tobio's happiness was short-lived when he saw his father smirk.

"So, my  _ son _ finally managed to have a gift." Hayato laughed. "One of the rarest gifts at that. You got your wish, son. You have my power.

_ "Like father, like son."  _ Tobio felt like he'd been slapped.

_ No no no no no.  _ Tobio felt his body grow cold, his father's words sinking deep into his heart and burning into his mind, making Tobio lose control.  _ I will never be my father. Why did I get my father's gift? Why why why why– _

As Tobio panicked, he lost his control over his flames and it attacked his father.

Hayato bellowed in pain as the flames burned him and Tobio scrambled to take control of his flames once again to extinguish it. 

"You!" Hayato roared in fury when Tobio managed to put out the flames. "What the fuck have you done to me!? You're going to pay for it with your life!" 

Tobio stayed rooted in place feeling terrified. Not because of his father. He had already gotten used to all the beatings he regularly received which only left him numb and hurting, but because of how his fire had hurt someone else.

Hayato choked Tobio when he got nearer, making Tobio see dark spots that clouded his vision. 

"You have always been such a problem!" Hayato yelled at Tobio's face. "I've always wished that you took your mother's place instead!" 

Tobio couldn't stop the tears rolling down his cheeks as his father's words seeped into his bones and embedded deep into his soul. 

_ Father wouldn't be who he was today if I were the one that took mother's place. He would still have his job, his life, he would even probably still be the most gentle, kind and righteous hero I've ever known.  _

_ He would've still been my number one hero. _

The thought that he had been pushing aside ever since his father first slapped him sprang up and stayed with him as he lost the will to fight in order to stay conscious. 

_ I'm really gonna die.  _ Tobio closed his eyes as his hands went limp and he stopped struggling. 

He was finally embracing his unfortunate fate when all of a sudden, he didn't feel the crushing weight of Hayato's hands on his neck and he groaned as he fell to his side. 

_ Am I dead yet? What's happening? Why did father stop?  _ Tobio thought to himself as he heard voices of different people. The last thing he saw before he finally lost consciousness and succumbed to the darkness was his grandfather smiling, telling him that everything will be alright.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi!
> 
> I'd just like to say that some things here were referenced by BNHA such as the "when I'm here, you have nothing to fear."
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I loved writing it! If there are any errors, I will fix them as soon as possible xjcjdjxdj I've not checked it for errors yet so I'm sorry for some mistakes or plot holes here and there. 
> 
> Once again, thank you for reading! <3


	2. Chapter 2

"Welcome home, my dearest child!" Tobio just got home from school when his mother greeted him at the front door and hugged him. 

Tobio's mother was the sweetest and most beautiful woman Tobio has ever known. If he had anything to compare his mother to, it would be the sun. 

His mother was always smiling and laughing kindly, it was even shown through her evident laugh lines. Her brown eyes were always filled with so much tenderness which never fails to comfort Tobio after a long day from school. Tobio loves his mother just as much as he loved his father and he always thought how they were such a perfect pair. A kind mother and a gentle father.

"How has my little adorable son been doing at school?" 

"I've been great, mama!" Tobio beamed at his mother, his sapphire eyes brimming with happiness. "I played with the other kids in my school today and our teacher praised me for getting a perfect score on their quiz!" 

"I'm so proud of you, my darling!" His mother giggled, kissed his forehead and hugged him once again. 

Tobio's eyes lit up like the sun, pulling back to look at his mother to say something when she screamed. 

Her mother pushed him and he watched in horror as he saw her burning. 

"What have you done, Tobio?" His mother was sobbing, looking at Tobio with hatred. 

Tobio was left aghast while staring at his mother. She was never like this. She never looked at anyone with anger, much less hatred.

"Why did you burn me?" 

_ No.  _ Tobio tried to run to his mother and kept shouting her name, but it was futile. He couldn't reach her. She was getting farther and farther away. 

" _ You're just like your father" _

_ Please. It wasn't me. I didn't do that. I would never use my fire against anyone.  _ Tobio felt his knees give as his body was wracked with sobs. 

_ I don't want to be like father. _

"I would never be like my father." Tobio whispered. 

"Oh? But isn't that your dream?" Hayato laughed cruelly as Tobio felt arms snake from behind him, not letting him move. 

_ No no no no.  _ Tobio tried prying himself from Hayato's grasp to no avail.  _ This couldn't be happening.  _

"I will never hurt anyone!" Tobio's voice cracked as tears flowed down his cheeks freely. "I will never be like you!"

But Hayato only chuckled. "You are  _ my  _ child, boy. Whether you like it or not. You can never be a hero.

" _ Like father, like son _ ." 

His father's words sliced him more than any physical wounds ever could.

Tobio gritted his teeth as he tried escaping from his father's grasp once again and this time, he got away. 

"I will never be like you. I  _ will _ become a hero."

He looks at his wailing mother and runs to save her.

But before he could, the floor ripped open and he was pulled down to the darkness. Down to the sound of Hayato's mocking laughter as Tobio screamed his mother's name.

* * *

Tobio woke with a start.

He was shaking and frantic and every part of his body was hurting, but there was one thought that stuck in his mind.

He couldn't save his mother. 

Even in his dream, he couldn't save the person he cared for the most and he thinks that it will haunt him forever.

But before he could succumb to self hatred, he heard a familiar voice.

"Tobio-kun!" Tobio tried turning his head to the side but he felt a jolt of pain on his neck and winced. 

"Easy there, child." 

The voice managed to calm Tobio's racing heart as he tried to figure out why the voice sounded so familiar. Tobio must've heard that voice somewhere but he couldn't figure out where. 

_ Everything's going to be alright.  _

A man in his 60's, his grandfather– Tobio realized– came into his view, eyes crinkling and face breaking into a laugh at Tobio's gobsmacked face.

"G-grandfather?" Tobio wasn't sure how to address the man standing next to his bed. They weren't close. Not exactly. 

Tobio hadn't met the guy until now, only hearing stories from his father about how strict and unrelenting his grandfather was when it came to Hayato so he thought his grandfather looked angry at the world all the time. 

But as Tobio took in the man's appearance– thin lips surrounded by bushy beard, black hair peppered with white strands, casual clothing, comforting brown eyes,  _ just like mama's!, Tobio thought–  _ he looked gentle and easygoing.

"Where am I? W-What happened?" Tobio couldn't really see anything but the white ceiling and his grandfather, however, he could smell the strong scent of antiseptics so he assumes he's at the hospital.

"You're at the Miyagi hospital. Well, if it were up to me, we could've gone to a farther hospital, somewhere with better facilities."

"Oh."

"But it seemed like if I didn't bring you to the nearest hospital… you would've died." 

At that, both of them lapsed into an awkward silence. Tobio was still wary of his grandfather even though his presence felt calming. And he thinks his grandfather sensed that because he sighed deeply and spoke in a soft voice.

"Look Tobio-kun, I won't pressure you to talk about everything that's happened. I think I already know enough just by what I saw when I came to Hayato's house." Tobio flinched. 

"May I– May I know what happened to our housekeeper? Is she safe?"

"Yes of course she's safe. She's traumatized but the doctors are doing their best to help her. She doesn't have any bodily injuries thanks to you." Tobio felt satisfied at hearing that. That was all he ever wanted, to save someone from harm.

"May I–" Tobio hesitated for a moment but continued when he saw his grandfather giving him a look that says 'you can ask whatever questions you have.' 

"May I know where my father is?" 

His grandfather raised an eyebrow, caught off guard with the question. 

"....he's in prison… for all that he's done."

"Oh." Tobio didn't know what to feel when his grandfather dropped this revelation to him. He still couldn't believe that his father was in prison, which meant that he wouldn't be able to hurt anyone anymore.

"H-how did you know…?" Tobio trailed off, not meeting his grandfather's eyes.

No other words were needed as his grandfather already knew what he was referring to.

"It's actually a coincidence. A very timely coincidence if I must say so myself. I just wanted to visit you both, together with a friend of mine, knowing how it must've been hard for both of you to live without your mother." Tobio's breath hitched as he continued. 

"But when I was near, I noticed a woman screaming, and when we went in–" his grandfather shuddered. "What I saw was, it was something else. I'm just–" his grandfather looked at him and Tobio felt the sincerity from his eyes as he added,

"You're safe now, Tobio."

Tobio felt tears ready to pour out of his eyes, but he pushed it back, thinking that his grandfather wouldn't like to see him cry just like his father.

"Okay that's enough chit chat for today. You need to sleep so your body can heal faster. And the faster you heal, the faster we can leave here. I'll just go get a nurse and something for us to eat."

"Okay…" As he heard his grandfather stand up to leave, Tobio spoke. "Thank you so much, grandfather."

"Kazuyo. Call me Kazuyo." At that, Tobio heard the door open and he was enveloped with silence once again. 

* * *

Three important things occurred in the few weeks Tobio was in the hospital.

One of them is the fact that his grandfather– Kazuyo, as he liked Tobio to call him– has a very close relationship with doctor Watanabe, the doctor with the kind smile and even kinder eyes. Which was why doctor Watanabe was the one appointed to Tobio and to watch over his condition.

The day he knew about it was the day after he first woke up in the hospital.

"Good morning, Kageyama-kun!" Doctor Watanabe opened the door with so much enthusiasm which made Tobio jolt with shock, causing him to spill some of his food. 

"D-doctor Watanabe? What are you doing here? You scared me." Tobio clutched at his heart, he felt like his soul just left his body.

"Sorry about that! I'm your attending doctor! So when you woke up, Kazuyo told me about it and I came here as soon as I could but you were asleep so I asked your nurse to tell me when you'd be awake, that's why I'm here now!"

Tobio's head was spinning with how fast and enthusiastic doctor Watanabe was being so early in the morning.

"Y-you know my grandfather?"

"Oh yes! We are quite close if I do say so myself!" 

And that was the start of doctor Watanabe getting closer with Tobio and visiting his room frequently, either to check up on his condition or to have a chat with Tobio himself or his long time friend, Kazuyo who's always by Tobio's side.

The other important event was when Kazuyo announced that they were leaving Miyagi to go to Tokyo which resulted in Tobio spilling his food once again. 

"Hey, Tobio-kun. When you're fully healed, you'll come with me to Tokyo."

"W-what?" Tobio's eyes widened as he spilled his food, staining his shirt. 

"What?" Kazuyo stared at Tobio blankly. "Do you think you'll go back to your house when you're healed? Don't you want to start a new life, away from the things that only bring you bad memories?"

Tobio didn't know what to say. It's true that he wants to forget all the things that happened to him and he knew he couldn't live in Hayato's house after all the things he's been through, but he's also terrified of being in a new city. Meeting new people always scared him. He wasn't really a sociable kid per se. He always just stuck with his parents and kids were often afraid of his blunt nature which often led to him being alone. He never told his parents about it however, because he knows they'll worry a whole lot. 

"I'm not forcing you to go with me. You still have the freedom to reject my offer if you want to stay," Kazuyo’s eyes softened as he assured Tobio after a beat of silence. "I would never make you do what you don't want to. I'm not that kind of person."

Tobio believed him. Kazuyo and Tobio became close with one another over the duration of his stay in the hospital once he found out that Kazuyo was not anything like his father. Very far from him. Which made Tobio trust him enough to tell him bits and pieces of what had occurred over the past few years with his father. And so Tobio thinks his trust in his grandfather is more than enough that he'll push his worries away and come live with him to Tokyo to start a new life and meet new people. And maybe he'll be able to tell his grandfather everything that happened and try to heal from the pain that Tobio's been carrying ever since he was five.

So with a deep breath, he told Kazuyo that he'll come with him to Tokyo and that he'll try his best to be a good grandson to which Kazuyo ruffled Tobio's head and with a soft smile and even softer eyes told Tobio that he's already the greatest grandson he could ever wish for.

The last but most important thing to occur was an accident at best and in his last week in the hospital at that. Tobio's wounds and the bruise on his neck were almost fully healed so he was allowed to walk around in his room. 

It was almost midnight when Tobio was brushing his teeth in the bathroom while staring at himself in the mirror. 

These past few weeks, he's been getting bigger bags under his eyes caused by sleep deprivation. Tobio couldn't sleep. Or rather, he wouldn't sleep because his dreams were always haunted by his father's cruel laugh and his mother's piercing eyes filled with hatred and blame. To Tobio, sleep was a torture rather than a comfort. 

So what he does to kill time is to research about his gift and how to control it. He still doesn't want to use his powers because of how violent and destructive it is and how it brings back memories he'd rather forget. But after he first woke up in the hospital– bursts of flame kept erupting on his hands from time to time accidentally which always left him panicking and running towards the bathroom to douse the flame with water– he decided to learn how to control it.

Looking at his face in the mirror, this time was the only time he felt relieved for taking more after his mother's looks than his father's. They had the same sharp features, thin lips and silky black hair. 

But when he looked at his eyes, such deep sapphire eyes that showed his real emotions more than anything can, he couldn't help but remember his father. 

His train of thought was cut off however, when someone knocked at the door which caused him to jump in surprise and accidentally emit a burst of flames from his free hand. 

"Coming!" Tobio's voice came out more frantic than he would've liked but he didn't care for now, he had more urgent matters to attend to. 

In his panicked state, he thrust out his hand in hopes of extinguishing it. And when he felt something in his gut, he tugged on it thinking it would snuff out his flames, but suddenly, the glass mug in his bathroom came flying towards him and he ducked just in time as it crashed into the wall behind him.

Tobio just looked at the shattered mug, still processing what happened, until the door in his bathroom opened and ripped him from his thoughts.

"KAGEYAMA-KUN! I heard a crash! what happened? Are you okay?" doctor Watanabe looked as frantic as Tobio was just moments ago as his eyes darted around, searching for the danger, but relaxed a little when he saw Tobio unharmed, looking at him with wide eyes. 

"Uh… I'm okay…?" 

"Kageyama…. Do you mind telling me what happened?" 

So Tobio told him exactly what happened before he barged into Tobio's bathroom. And as doctor Watanabe left after checking his vitals and telling him how happy he was that nothing bad happened and that he most likely inherited his mother's gift, it finally sank in. 

He has another power. He has his  _ mother's _ gift. 

He suddenly remembered what he said not so long ago: "I wish I'll inherit my mother's gift instead of my father's." 

He laughs because he got his wish. He laughs because he inherited both of his parents' gifts. He laughs because he doesn't know what else to do or what to feel. He laughs until his eyes blur with tears because of how bittersweet the world could be. 

He inherited the gift that could hurt people, and another one that he thinks could finally save millions of people. 

As he drifts off to sleep, he finally thinks he wouldn't become like his father.

* * *

Two weeks have passed after Tobio got discharged from the hospital and took the plane with his grandfather to Tokyo. 

When Tobio told him about his gift the day after it activated, His grandfather was beyond delighted, encouraging him and telling him that he's going to reach greater heights with his mother's gift and that with great practice, he'll be a hero in no time. However, he was too busy in those two weeks packing and unpacking his stuff so he never found the time to learn how to control his newly discovered gift. 

But he did learn that Tokyo is a very big city and he thinks he would easily get lost in the bustling crowds. 

He also still couldn't believe that Hayato wouldn't be going anywhere near him or anyone for that matter and because of that, he always jumps whenever he hears heavy footsteps and he still had the habit of talking and moving as softly and quietly as possible, thinking that it would attract unwanted attention if he were noisy. But thankfully, his grandfather's house looked as calming and serene– comfortable even– as his grandfather, which helped settle his nerves if only a little.

But he knows that wounds as deep as his would never heal so easily. He still gets nightmares that leave him gasping and panicking, drenched in his own sweat. Thrashing wildly before he recognizes his surroundings and immediately goes to the bathroom to throw up what little he ate. But Tobio will take it. He will take this rather than witnessing his father torture more people in the life he's living in.

* * *

And of course, nothing ever seems to be easy for Tobio. His mother’s gift was weaker inside his body so he has to exert more effort when controlling it, which drains his body of its energy. Not only that, but everytime he lifts objects or makes them gravitate towards him, no matter how small, his body has to release the flames churning all over his body, which slowly kills him from the inside if he doesn't release it. His gift, fire, always fights for dominance especially since it is one of the rarest and most powerful. So he had to learn that his gifts should coexist with one another the hard way.

He was eight when he was training his gift when right after he tried lifting a pen with droplets of sweat beading on his forehead at the effort, he suddenly felt burning heat wanting to be pushed out all over his body. Thinking that his flames were slipping out of his control, he pushed it back so as not to hurt anyone. At first it seemed to work, but the next day he came down with a burning fever. Tobio was slipping in and out of consciousness and writhing in pain at the intense burning he felt in his whole body. His futon was burnt to a crisp and anyone who dared touch him got burned as well, so no one was able to help him. 

He was frightened and crying, he almost lost his mind at the intense pain he was in when he heard his father's voice in his head. 

_ "Use me. Use the fire I gave you."  _ Hayato's vile laugh echoed in his head.  _ "You can never escape me. Like father, like son."  _

"No!" Tobio screeched, tears tumbling down his face once again. "I would never use your gift! I'm not like you!" 

But on the second day, the pain and burning sensation were all too much that Tobio was forced to heed his father's advice to let go and use his fire. He  _ pushed _ and suddenly, flames shot out from his upturned hands, burning down his room. 

When the last of the fires were extinguished by him, he lied down at the center of the chaos, breathing heavily. 

In order to use his mother's gift, he had to use his father's. The realization felt like a punch to the gut and almost crushed him because he swore to himself that he wouldn't use his father's gift.

He swore to not be like his father, but he thinks that everyday he's becoming just like him.

* * *

Tobio is already eleven when he thinks he's finally healing. Of course the pain and memories are always there, the wounds and scars left behind would always be there, even the nightmare he has of his parents are still haunting him daily, but he managed to keep himself busy.

Tobio and Kazuyo have grown much closer than ever over the four years they spent living with each other. However, Kazuyo stopped training Tobio ever since Tobio told him he didn't want to use his gifts after the last incident which burned down the entirety of his room, to which the older agreed to, knowing how much the incident scarred Tobio. 

Even though it hurt him to give up on his dream of being a hero, he knew he couldn't stomach using his father's gift. It was too much and too painful than not using his gift ever again and he'd rather choose the latter than to hurt anyone close to him.

So the one thing Tobio always looks forward to in order to distract himself was by playing volleyball. His grandfather was the one that taught him how to play, and he soon enough realizes that it helps him forget all the bad things that happened even if it's just for a short while. Playing volleyball always makes him feel at peace. Like nothing else matters but the ball in his hands. 

"Tobio you're really great at this!" Kazuyo panted and shouted to Tobio who's at the other side of the net when the boy won their match. 

"You're not so bad yourself, Kazuyo-kun!" Tobio smiled cheekily at his grandfather, eyes shining with elation and contentment.

"Come here you brat! I'm just old, that's why you won against me!" Tobio let out a surprised giggle as Kazuyo chased him down and tickled him. 

He finally tries to let himself believe what his grandfather said to him when they first met.  _ Everything will be alright. _

* * *

"Tobio, do you hate your father?"

Tobio's eyes widened with surprise at the sudden question.

They were sitting at Kazuyo's wide backyard, eating watermelons after dinner and looking at the vast night sky filled with flecks of stars in different sizes, when Kazuyo suddenly presented him with the question which made Tobio drop his watermelon slice onto the plush grass.

"I'm sorry." Tobio looked sheepish when Kazuyo gave him a look and sighed.

"It's okay you don't have to say sorry, it was my fault for asking such an insensitive question."

"No, I don't mind." Tobio shrugged as if the question didn't bother him. 

He then looked thoughtful as he processed what his grandfather asked just a few minutes ago and spoke in a quiet voice. 

"I don't hate my father." Tobio looked down at his scarred hands as he remembered him, "I don't think I ever could."

Tobio doesn't need to say anything else because his grandfather knows. He knows that no matter if he doesn't know how to properly express his emotions or how blunt the young boy can get, the latter would never have the heart to hate anyone. 

Kazuyo looks tenderly at Tobio as he questions whether it's going to be his greatest flaw or his greatest weapon.

* * *

It was twelve year old Tobio's first day of classes in Kitagawa Daiichi, one of the schools that focuses more on academic excellence rather than their gifts, and he was terrified. Not really knowing what to expect. It's been roughly five years since he went to school physically since he's been homeschooled ever since he moved to Tokyo, so he doesn't know what to expect. But as he went with his day, his teachers have been nothing but kind to him and he thinks he's finally making some progress with making new friends as some of his classmates even offered him food. 

Soon enough however, he couldn't contain his excitement as he stood at the door of the gym after classes– "how did it go, Tobio?" "It was better than I expected, Kazuyo-kun! The teachers were really nice and the discussions were a piece of cake!"– due to the fact that Kazuyo told him that his new school has a great volleyball team. So he buzzes with excitement just thinking about playing with them. He thinks that maybe he could finally fit in and belong. 

He thinks that maybe… maybe he could finally find someone he can call a friend. Maybe even find his soulmate.

He touches his soul mark as he walks into the gym, trying to keep a straight face even though his bright glowing eyes betray his true feelings. 

But he felt the wind get knocked out of him as he entered the gym, just in time to see a brown haired boy's powerful serve. 

He looked majestic. Like he's flying and reaching for the sky. He looked  _ free _ even; a concept Tobio's still struggling to understand, but when he saw the beautiful brown haired boy, he just knew that he's what freedom looks like. 

Tobio touched his soul mark as he suddenly remembered what his grandfather told him,

_ "If you get really good, Tobio, I promise you…. Someday…. Somebody who's even better than you will come and find you." _

And he thinks that maybe this is it. Maybe he's that someone. 

Tobio catches himself wishing for the brown haired boy to be his soulmate.

"Hey!" He was suddenly pulled back into reality when a soft teal eyed boy with spiky hair that reminded him of Godzilla walked to him and smiled. "You're here for the tryouts, right?" 

"Y-yes, sir!" Tobio answered with vigor as he bows deeply, thrusting his club activity form to the older. 

The older boy laughed at Tobio's enthusiasm and ruffled his head. 

"You know you don't need to be that polite. I'm Iwaizumi by the way. Iwaizumi Hajime. You can call me Iwaizumi-senpai."

"I-it's nice to meet you, Iwaizumi-sa– Iwaizumi-senpai! I'm Kageyama Tobio!" Tobio tried to bow once again when Iwaizumi stopped him. 

Iwaizumi was about to say something when a whistle blew, signaling everyone to gather around their coach. Tobio bowed to the older once again and walked to where the coach was. And when he was seated together with the other new and old members, he then turned and found that the brown haired boy was already looking back at him with a piercing gaze as he walked to the front and stood in between Iwaizumi and the coach. Tobio blushed, feeling embarrassed that he was caught and looked away.

"It seems like we have promising players this time around." His coach announced to which all the players cheered. "I am the coach for Kitagawa Daiichi and I'll make sure to whip you into shape that is fitting for a school who wins at the Junior High Athletics Meet." 

The coach then reiterated the guidelines and rules that have been established in the team and Tobio made sure to listen to him as he stared at their coach with wonder and amazement.  _ His  _ coach! He finally met his coach and now he can't wait to play with his other teammates. Tobio felt exhilarated. 

He suddenly lost his train of thought, however, when the brown haired boy spoke. His voice was as silky and smooth as melting chocolate.

"Hello everyone! I'm Oikawa Tooru."

_ Oikawa Tooru. _ Tobio's heart felt like it's running at full speed but he didn't know what it meant. Usually when it happens, his father is always concerned, but he's not here and he's not scared nor is he panicking right now, so,  _ why _ ?

"I'm the captain of the team and I'm a setter." He paused and looked at everyone in the eye. Then his gaze landed on Tobio's awestruck face and stayed there as he said,

"It's nice to finally meet you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's it for my update! Sorry if it's a little messy dkcjdjdjdjdj but yes hopefully you liked it! Updates would be really slow since I also have another fic to write and well, school lmao. But I hope this chapter was to your liking! 
> 
> Ps. If there are any typos or plot holes, I'll try my best to fix them once I reread it! Thank you so much again for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CW: very minor violence 
> 
> H-hi 😔😔 I know it's been so long but school's been kicking me in the ass, so as a peace offering, I give you this half baked chapter xkdxjdjfjdj Hopefully it's still okay but I've been so tired lately to reread it so it might contain some errors and plotholes so if u could kindly point it out, that would be much appreciated! Thank you so much for reading!

It's only been a month since Tobio started school at Kitagawa Daiichi but he's already excelling in his studies and of course, in volleyball. Due to this, countless people approach him, hoping to befriend the talented raven haired boy. However, no one lasts for even a week when they find out about his too blunt personality and that he gets closed off every time someone asks him about his gift. Some even gossip behind his back, to which Kageyama paid no mind to, since he only needs volleyball, his grandfather, and his soulmate mark. Nothing else.

The only people that stayed were also his teammates, Kindaichi Yutaro and Kunimi Akira.

"You know," Kindaichi began when their coach gave them a time out from practicing. "You and Kageyama are a really great match."

Kunimi raised his eyebrow in question.

"What do you mean, Onion head." Kunimi asked in a monotonous tone, staring blankly at Kindaichi as the latter gave him a look.

"See what I  _ mean _ ? You guys are too blunt for your own good, it’s probably the reason why you have no friends. Are you sure you aren't soulmates?" 

"We aren't soulmates." Kunimi scrunched his nose at the absurdity of the idea.

"Yeah and we don't need any other friends." Tobio piped in, noticing Kunimi's discomfort at the topic. "Especially ones that never stay. Right, Kunimi?" 

At that, Kunimi nodded. Then the whistle once again blew, signalling the end of their break.

* * *

"Oikawa-san, can you teach me how to jump serve?" Tobio's mouth forms into a pout but his eyes shimmer with adoration as he looks at Oikawa, oblivious to the brown haired boy's barely contained irritation. How could he notice, when the first few times they talked, Oikawa has been nothing but kind to him. 

_ "Kageyama-kun?" The smooth and gentle voice of Oikawa washed over Tobio and startled him as they were jogging around the court.  _

_ "Sorry about that," Oikawa looked sheepishly at Tobio. "I just wanted to have a chat with someone that has the same position in volleyball as I do."  _

From there, they began to talk more while in practice and got a little closer. Tobio's a little sad every time he hears that it was Oikawa's last year in Kitagawa Daiichi but he thinks he's finally made friends with one of the people he admires, so he assumed that they would stay in contact even after he graduated and he feels ecstatic at the prospect.

However, as the days pass by and their coach keeps praising Tobio's extraordinary skills to set, he thinks that Oikawa's becoming more distant. He might've failed to notice the brown haired boy's irritation, but he didn't fail to notice the soft and warm "Kageyama-kun" Oikawa often addressed him turn to mocking and cold "Tobio-chan."

Tobio always feels upset at how their conversations always end, but he pushes it away in hopes of building back the friendship they had. And the only way he could see them being connected once again is through volleyball, and learning Oikawa's serve is another plus, so that's just what he did. 

However, as Oikawa turned to Tobio, hands on both his hips and a saccharine smile plastered on his face, Tobio felt dread creeping up on his bones, but he shook his head because nothing bad will happen, right?

"What's that, Tobio-chan? You wanna hear my motto?"

"N-no I–"

"If you're gonna hit it, hit until it breaks!" Oikawa winked and ended it with a peace sign.

"T-that's nice…" Tobio trailed off, suddenly feeling unsure. "But can you please–" 

"Don't wanna!" Oikawa's smile suddenly morphed into a leer. "Why do I, with my own hands, have to help someone who'll be a threat to me in the future? You're an idiot!" Oikawa hissed as he stuck his tongue out to Tobio.

The latter was too shocked to respond. Oikawa might have avoided talking to him but he was never like this to Tobio before. 

"Oi, Oikawa." Iwaizumi hit Oikawa's head as he got nearer. "Don't pick a fight with the first years."

At that, Oikawa grumbled but acquiesced, walking off with Iwaizumi and leaving Tobio to stare dejectedly at their retreating backs. 

* * *

It was 5 AM in the morning when Tobio decided to go to Kitagawa Daiichi to practice his serve and more of his sets for the upcoming Junior High Athletics Meet in December. 

His face was alight with excitement at being able to go to a tournament with a team, so he entered the club room with a skip in his step. 

But he slowed to a stop as he saw Oikawa changing. His eyes widened comically, not at all used to seeing Oikawa change or being with him alone. 

"I– I'm so–" Tobio's train of thought was long forgotten however, when his eyes slid down to Oikawa's left wrist which wasn't covered by his wristband yet, the one he usually wore during practice, and witnessed Oikawa's mark turn into a faintly glowing vibrant blue. 

He felt his own mark tingle and pulse even under the many layers of jacket he put on himself. 

He knew the signs. Of course he did. He read about it multiple times that he already has it memorized and normally, you wouldn't get to know who your soulmate is, until you see their mark with your own eyes which was pretty easy to locate since everyone had theirs inside their wrist, but seeing both their marks glow blue still made Tobio's heart skip a beat. 

Oikawa Tooru.

The Oikawa Tooru. The one Tobio always thought was his someone better is actually his other half. His  _ soulmate _ .

Tobio was over the clouds, a deep blush crawling up his neck and blossoming into his cheeks, his deep blue eyes were alight with pure unadulterated happine–

He jumped when he heard a loud bang coming from Oikawa. Tobio then raised his eyes to meet Oikawa's and what he saw there made his blood run cold.

Oikawa was looking down his nose at Tobio, eyes narrowed and filled with contempt and disgust.

"You–" Oikawa pointed at Tobio, sneering. "–will never be my soulmate. Not ever. Not in a million years."

"I- I don't understand but we’re–"

"No." Oikawa's eyes were hard. His tone unrelenting, leaving no room for more arguments as he hissed, " _ This _ mark does not mean anything. It might've felt like something, but don't get me wrong, it's  _ only _ because of the mark."

Tobio tried taking a step forward and opened his mouth to speak but stopped when Oikawa held up a hand and glared at him.

"This is a mistake. I  _ never  _ want to be with someone like you." 

At that, Oikawa stormed out of the club room and slammed the door shut, leaving Tobio to stare hollowly at the place where Oikawa was just seconds ago. 

His knees gave out under him as he felt his heart plummet. He thought meeting his soulmate would be special. Magical, even. That's what he was looking forward to every time he read about it or when his mother told him stories. At least that's what he felt before Oikawa told him that their mark didn't mean anything.

Tobio's mark suddenly began to itch however, so he scrambled to remove his jacket in order to inspect it. 

He then felt something in him break as he watched his soulmate mark turn from a faintly glowing vibrant blue to an abysmal black.

Tobio felt his world crumble under him at the finality of his soulmate rejecting him. 

It was his one comfort amidst the chaos in his life, but he should've known better. He should've known that the reason why it took him this long to know his soulmate was Oikawa was due to the older hiding his own soulmark. He should've known that Oikawa didn't want to have anything to do with him so much so that he had to wear a wristband everywhere he goes.

He should've known that his soulmark too, would be taken harshly from him.

* * *

"Kazuyo-kun," Kageyama dragged his feet into the living room where he knew his grandfather was watching television. 

"Tobio! Great timing I–"

"My soulmate rejected me." 

Tobio knew he was being rude by cutting his grandfather in the middle of speaking, but he couldn't hold back anymore as his lips trembled and his brows furrowed, trying his best not to let his tears fall.

His grandfather then stood up and hugged his grandson tightly. When Kazuyo rubbed small gentle circles on his back, Tobio couldn't hold back the onslaught of sobs as he gripped his grandfather's shirt.

Tobio never knew it could happen to him because rejected soulmate marks rarely ever happen. Everyone accepts it wholly and happily because it's the greatest love anyone could ever give and receive. 

"Is– is there something wrong with me? Are people really incapable of loving someone like me?" Tobio's voice cracked, his tone laced with unconcealed sorrow. 

"Hey, no." Kazuyo said in a soft and comforting manner, still rubbing gentle circles on Tobio's back. "Tobio, you are kind, polite, thoughtful and caring even if you show it in your own way. Is that what your soulmate told you? That there's something wrong with you?"

Tobio shook his head, still not moving away from his grandfather's shirt. 

"Hm then whatever they said, they're still an asshole." 

At that, Kazuyo felt him smile and he breathed a sigh of relief. 

"They do not deserve someone as special and amazing as you. I know a rejected soulmate mark would be hard to move on from, but I'll always be here and support you. Don't think that it's the end of the world because you've still got me and your other soulmate."

"Who?" 

"Volleyball." 

Tobio managed to smile at that, holding on to the words his grandfather told him, feeling a little bit lighter.

He knows it himself that he can't let go of Oikawa, but he lets himself believe for a while, that he doesn't feel anything for the older.

* * *

The day after the soulmate mark rejection, everything returned to normal as if what happened never existed. Which was fine for Tobio, he could work with not acknowledging it if it meant that Oikawa wouldn't get mad or hate him. 

But two weeks after the incident, Tobio thinks Oikawa's hatred became more apparent when Kitagawa Daiichi had a practice match with another school in lieu of preparing for their Junior High Athletics Meet. It was the last practice match and Junior High Athletics Meet of the third years, so due to the immense pressure and impatience to outwin their greatest enemy, Ushijima, who was the strongest young player in the prefecture, Oikawa committed countless mistakes which led to his worst nightmare to come true. 

He heard their coach call Tobio and tell him to get in the court to replace Oikawa. The brown haired boy just stayed there frozen and unmoving, too shocked at being benched, until his coach had no choice but to shout at him to keep moving so they could get back to the game.

And as Oikawa passed by the raven haired boy, Tobio didn't fail to notice how the older looked more than angry and didn't look at him at all which made him worry. But Tobio pushed it away to focus on winning the practice match. 

Fortunately for Kitagawa Daiichi but unfortunately for Oikawa, the team won because of Tobio's perfect and precise tosses. 

The younger was filled with so much happiness after they won, because for the first time, he finally felt like he was accepted. Like he belonged. He thinks that maybe he doesn't need his gifts to be happy, he just needs volleyball.

* * *

But Tobio knew that life is unfair as it is unkind. 

After the match, he decided to stay in the court in order to practice a bit more when he noticed Oikawa practicing his own serves at the other side of the court. 

Tobio's eyes lit up at seeing the brown haired boy, and he convinced himself that tonight was the best time that he could finally make Oikawa agree to teaching him. Maybe they could even become friends since Tobio's still his soulmate, even if he was rejected. And he just wouldn't give up so easily. They're soulmates for a reason. 

Plus, he proved himself worthy as a setter a while ago, right?

"Oikawa-san!" Tobio began as he approached the older who was breathing heavily from the effort he exerted while serving. "Can you teach me how to do a jump serve?"

"No." Oikawa gritted his teeth, not looking at Tobio. "Go away."

"But we're–"

Suddenly, Oikawa's face contorted into one of pure fury as he lifted his hand and swung it in Tobio's direction. The latter's eyes widened in horror as the image of his own father doing the exact same thing flashed before his eyes. 

He then screwed his eyes shut, bracing himself for the impact of the hit he knew was about to come. 

But it never did. 

When Tobio opened his eyes, he saw Iwaizumi in between them, gripping the hand that Oikawa almost used in hitting the younger. Oikawa looked shocked and regretful when he realized what he had done. 

"I– I'm sorry," Oikawa rasped while trembling. "I didn't–"

"Hey Kageyama," Iwaizumi looked at Tobio, who was just as shocked as Oikawa at what had happened, and gave him a small smile. "I'm really sorry about what happened. You should leave, I'll handle it."

Tobio nodded slowly and backed away from them. He reached for his bag and ran off into the night, not wanting any of them to see him shake as tears threatened to fall down his eyes.

That night, he dreams of his father laughing at him and telling him that no one could ever love someone as weak and useless as him.

* * *

It was a cold and cloudy afternoon in December when Tobio was walking to the gym after classes, hugging himself and frowning because of the cold weather. Tobio never liked the cold, he always preferred hot and humid summers more than anything.

It was also one week before the Junior High Athletics Meet which would be the last tournament Oikawa and Iwaizumi, along with other third years, could participate in as members of Kitagawa Daiichi Volleyball Club. 

Which is why everyone is getting more agitated and pressured, especially Oikawa who was snapping at everyone and drilling them during training which always left them sore afterwards.

He was already nearing the gym when his phone rang, and an unknown number greeted him upon checking the screen. His first instinct was to decline it, since he didn't know who the person was at the other end of the line, but something was telling him that he needed to pick up. So he did.

"Hello?" a woman with a warm voice laced with what Kageyama associates with worry greeted him. "Is this Kageyama Tobio's number?" 

His heart rate increased as he heard the woman say his name.

"Y-yes that's me. Is there something you need?"

"Yes and it is about Kageyama Kazuyo–" Tobio froze when he heard the name. His grandfather. "–We noticed that you're the only one on his emergency contact, which was why you were the one we called. May I know who Kageyama Kazuyo is to you?"

"I– I am his grandson."

"Oh okay. Kageyama-san, your grandfather is in the hospital right now and is in a critical condition."

Tobio's stomach plummeted to the ground as he processed what the woman– a nurse, he realized– was saying. 

"I'm really sorry but may I know which hospital he's in right now?" Tobio interrupted the nurse, feeling like his body was suddenly doused in cold water.

"This is the Seibo Hospital–"

Tobio didn't get to hear what the woman on the other end of the line was saying anymore as he sprinted towards the bus stop with his eyes blurring and his heart hammering. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I... dont know when I'll be updating this djdhdhd probably not anytime soon but we'll see if my schedule is okay :<< anyway does anyone play Genshin Impact here? Let's play UwU


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